Internship Science Journalism 2018

ESO Education and Public Outreach Department (ePOD) is responsible for the organisation's outreach activities. A wide range of programs and activities are used to meet the specific requirements of television, print and online media, such as press releases and broadcast material for the media. ePOD embraces a multimedia approach to public outreach and produces high-quality printed material such as brochures, books, annual reports, newsletters, posters etc.

In ESO ePOD you will work with a team of professional science communicators for the preparation of ESO and ESA/Hubble news and photo releases, publications, web pages, video scripts, exhibition panels and other public communication products. You will also be able to learn how to present planetarium shows yourself in the dome.

Through your involvement in various projects and with our support you will have the opportunity to understand and learn:

• About the mission of ESO and the role and responsibilities of ePOD for its implementation;
• How a large international scientific organisation works in practice and in particular what are the workflows, processes and procedures within ePOD;
• How to write about complex scientific issues in an engaging and understandable manner;
• What is required to coordinate big events and projects;
• How written text and audiovisuals can be combined to make science attractive and approachable to the public.

Requirements:

We are looking for people who want to gain experience in science communication of frontline astronomy projects.

You should have some previous experience in written science communication in English and in particular communicating astronomy or other physical sciences to the public. You should also have a knowledge of astronomy that allows you to understand scientific papers. You must be fluent in English both written and oral and have strong MS Office applications skills (Word, Excel and PowerPoint).

Candidates currently studying or having recently completed a University degree in science, science communication or science journalism, are preferred.

Competences:

You should be able to:

• Provide clear, concise and timely written and oral communications;
• Work under time pressure and deliver to agreed deadlines and standards;
• Work both on your own initiative and as part of a team;
• Build good collaborative working relationships with people from different cultural backgrounds and disciplines.

Internship details:

Internship opportunities are offered throughout the year. The duration of the internship is initially for 3 months up to a maximum of 6 months. We offer a monthly allowance to cover your living expenses and we provide accommodation. We also cover the cost of a return trip from/to your home station. For any further questions please contact vacancy@eso.org.

Application:

If you are interested in our internship opportunities you are invited to apply online at http://jobs.eso.org/. Applications must be completed in English and should include a motivation letter and your CV. Please also upload samples of your work. Applications without samples will not be evaluated.

Applications are reviewed on a bi-monthly basis throughout the year.

No nationality is in principle excluded. However, recruitment preference will be given to nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

The post is equally open to suitably qualified male and female applicants.